Outstanding in the field

This is my idea of being good at what you do, the horses I mean....

Sailing West

Basking in the glow of the setting sun, our journey will soon be guided by the light of stars. In the night, the stars and sea meld into one.

After the storms

The first of the California Winter storms have past and we still have some tress standing. Not too bad considering the amount of rain and wind.

Fool on the hill

My favorite time to photograph sand dunes is late afternoon. I find the light and the shadows at this time of day make for great abstracts. The trick is to work quickly with the light that you have. You'll never get the same images. Sand Dunes are an environment of flux.

Two quick things:

1. If you haven't tried the PicLens Add-On and you use Firefox, you should. What can I say, it's just awesome. (it works with a few other browsers too)

2. If you like flickr check out fototickr - it's another way to view the world of digital images in its ever changing format.

A walk on the beach

There's something soothing about a walk on the beach. Perhaps it's just the rhythm of the waves rolling onto shore, but whatever it is, it clears the mind and comforts the soul.

Reach for the sky

Follow your dreams... they don't follow you.

Facing the wrong way

Don't look at the finger or you'll miss all the heavenly glory, the teacher says to the student as he points to the sky.

Sometimes it's nice to just step away from the tripod and camera and just take it all in, the beauty of Nature.

On the Stock Photography front, I hear that Getty Images is looking for a buyer, meaning they are for sale. Change, change, change.

I've got images to process, but I think I'll go for a walk first and enjoy the fresh air...

Sunset Romance

A telephoto lens does come in handy at moments like this. Out of nowhere, on top of this hill a couple appeared, having climbed the hill from behind to catch the last bit of sunshine. I couldn't think of a better way to sum up the essence of a sunset. Had it not been for the long lens, I wouldn't have this shot.

At world's end

Somewhere off in the distance, at world's end, soft music is playing in honor of our pending arrival.

In the dunes

I tried to make a compelling image of sunset in the dunes. A bit more of a challenge than I suspected, still it was worth the effort, if for no other reason than getting out of the house.

The Rails Await

Empty like a ghost town, this little train stop waits to serve its purpose of assisting people in their adventures... They will come.

Along the Coast

The California Coast is like a big canvas that Nature uses to paint an ever changing array of images upon. Never the same, yet always stunning and awe inspiring.

Nautical Silhouette

A stillness came over the coast moments before the sunset, bringing a close to the day. Little sailboats sat silently as the day faded away. It was a perfect moment.

joie de vie

Movement and colour, joie de vie. How do you capture it? One way that I've been trying to to it is by using layers of photos taken seconds apart and combining them. I'm not sure it capture exactly what I had in mind, but I do like the effect.

On the road

Blue skies and fair weather are enough to draw out for a road trip. Pack up the cameras and hit the road. See where that highway leads to....

Up with the dawn

The rising sun stirs up the seagulls who take to flight. It's the start of a brand new day.

Morning Reward

I've managed to actually make it out of the house early enough to catch the sunrise. For me, this is a great way to start out the day. (and you won't find a lot of people around at the beach in the morning, which is great for some photographers)

Step into the light

They say there's always magic in the air...

Waves of Freedom

A surfer enjoys riding the morning waves, safe in the knowledge that the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan has his back.

Games Without Frontiers

Whistling tunes we hid in the dunes by the seaside...

fill my sails

An afternoon breeze and fairly calm seas bring out the faithful for a little racing in the sun...

Happy Feet

Happy feet! I've got those hap-hap-happy feet!
Give them a low-down beat
And they begin dancing!
I've got those ten little tip-tap-tapping toes,
When they hear a tune
I can't control the dancing, dear,
To save my soul!

Those weary blues can't get into my shoes,
Because my shoes refuse
To ever grow weary.
I keep cheerful on an earful
Of music sweet;
Just got those hap-hap-happy feet!

Punishing the People

Living in California isn't easy, but the natural beauty of the State tends to compensate for the struggles, that is until now.

It's no secret that the State has a chronic addiction to over spending, and a long history of budget troubles.

One of the proposed solutions is to punish the people by closing several State Parks. Everyone suffers as a result, but the hardest hit will be the people who can least afford it.

Having a passion for photographing the the Natural wonders of the State, closing parks doesn't sit well with me.

For what it's worth, here's a list of the proposed closures:

— Del Norte Redwoods State Park.
— Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park.
— William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park.
— Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area.
— Plumas-Eureka State Park.
— Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.
— Manchester State Beach.
— Clear Lake State Park.
— Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.
— Austin Creek State Recreation Area.
— Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve.
— Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park.
— Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park.
— State Indian Museum State Historic Park.
— Tomales Bay State Park.
— Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park.
— Benecia Capitol State Historic Park.
— Benicia State Recreation Area.
— Candlestick Point State Recreation Area.
— Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.
— McConnell State Recreation Area.
— California State Mining and Mineral Museum
— George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area.
— Wassama Round House State Historic Park
— Portola Redwoods State Park
— Great Valley Grasslands State Park
— Henry W. Coe State Park.
— Fremont Peak State Historic Park.
— Fort Ord Dunes State Park.
— Limekiln State Park.
— William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach.
— San Simeon State Park.
— Harmony Headlands State Park.
— Estero Bluffs State Park.
— Morro Strand State Beach.
— Los Osos Oaks State Reserve.
— Montana de Oro State Park
— Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.
— La Purisima Mission State Historic Park.
— Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.
— Los Encinos State Historic Park.
— Topanga State Park.
— California Citrus State Historic Park.
— Will Rogers State Historic Park.
— Pio Pico State Historic Park.
— Mount San Jacinto State Park.
— Salton Sea State Park.
— Picacho State Recreation Area.

Three at sea

Dolphins have a way of inspiring people. I admit they are fun to watch swimming and playing off the California Coast, so it's no wonder that you see so many sculpture of them around. Trying to photograph them swimming is the whole reason I got my first zoom lens... I just didn't realize I would need a 600mm lens, and well... I'm still working on getting that.

Waiting

Like any other thing in life the more you practice, the better. Now that the holiday season has passed, time to dust off the camera and head out and make some images.

Standing Still

Like the eye of a storm, a little faith is a calm place to help us weather the difficulties of life.

Gone are the dark clouds

The storm has passed by leaving vibrant skies and the promise of a new day...

Rainbow Dance

A grove of color and light, a rhythm of magic, a dance of delight.

Making Music

With all the rain over the last two days you would think that I'd have spent time processing my backlog of images. Nope, I went down the music rabbit hole, downloaded some new tracks from Amazon.com (I love their music MP3 Store by the way) and just generally listened to the rain and music. Not a bad way to spend the day.

What to do?

So, I've got all these images of dancers in colorful costumes, dancing and full of life.

They evoke life, freedom, and happiness... and I like them. The question is, are they destined to to the fate of the delete key? Why? Model releases. My stock agencies want them.

Them problem is that I don't know who these people are and have no way of getting the releases. I've been getting creative with the images and applying filters and layers, and all manners of adjustments, so that the end result is digital art rather than a photograph.

More Impressionism than anything else. Sure, you can make out the fact that what you are seeing are dancers caught in the moment, but if you look closely you will just see the suggestion of who the person might be. I don't think you'd be able to pick out who that person was on the street.

My stock agencies seem to just see the thumbnail, see that they are dancers and don't see the accompanying model release. Instant rejection!

I'm going to have to think about this. Try writing a lengthy note for the stock image reviewer and see if that solves the issue of getting image approval.

I've got tons of these images, so I don't want to spend too much time on it. I'll give it a try, but if it's a no go then the images must go.

Agave

Sometimes its just the pattern and shape that draws the eye and becomes the subject, more of an abstract flurry than anything else.

Light Play

There's a lot to be said for the elegance of simplicity in images, or in most anything else for that matter.

It's easy on the eyes, and seems to resonate instantly in the mind, as if the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, yet we lack the words to describe fully what it is, and why it works so.

Dusk

Just a peaceful moment in which concerns of the day are laid to rest...

Keeping Dreams Alive

Keep the faith and follow your dreams! Happy New Year!